It’s no secret that college students have the most erratic sleeping schedule.
Going to bed at 3 a.m. is “normal”—regardless of whether you’re out partying or not.
Sleeping schedules become so out of tune that sometimes going to bed at all becomes a challenge!
Luckily, researchers have found simple easy tricks that allow us to go to bed. The study found that participants sleep better when:
1. They made their beds every day
2. Their bed sheets were clean and changed once a week
3. The bedrooms were dark and cool
4. They slept on comfortable mattresses and pillows.
What does this mean for the average college student?
It means it’s time to make a little investment in order to guarantee some beauty sleep! Here are some quick and easy ways you can make your bed an ideal sleeping environment:
1. Make sure to make your bed every day.
Even if this means you make your bed 10 minutes before getting in bed.
By taking the time to make your bed each day, it will be that more appealing to jump in and get to sleep at the end of the day.
2. Have two sets of sheets.
This allows you to change them once a week assuming you remember to wash them! If you keep your sheets clean and soft, you will be lured to be knowing you are about to jump into a comfortable, clean bed.
3. Purchase an eye mask.
It’s hard to guarantee a dark room when you have to live with a roommate, so invest in a pair an eye mask!
If you don’t have an eye mask (or are too cheap to buy one), simply grab a clean sock, t-shirt or smaller item of clothing and drape it over your eyes.
One of the best things to use is a t-shirt because if you lie flat on your back, the shirt will cover your entire eye area, but if you sleep on your side, you can also tie it behind your head gently so it stays in place as you move about.
4. Fix up that mattress.
Purchase what it takes to make your dorm mattress more comfortable!
I used to put a sleeping bag between the mattress and my fitted sheet to make it a bit more comfier, but you can try bringing a mattress from home, using a mattress pad or even a feather bed pad.
